Exercise apparatus adjustable for sidewise moving

ABSTRACT

An exercise apparatus includes a base having a carrier, two brackets attached to the carrier and adjustable relative to carrier between a forwardly directed position and a sidewise directed position, and two foot supports pivotally attached to the brackets and to be pivoted and swung forwardly and rearwardly relative to the brackets and the carrier when the brackets are attached to the carrier at the forwardly directed position, and the foot supports are allowed to be pivoted and swung sidewise relative to the brackets and the carrier when the brackets are attached to the carrier at the sidewise directed position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an exercise apparatus, and more particularly to an exercise apparatus including a structure adjustable for being selectively and adjustably operated as a stepping or walking or jogging or striding exercise and adjustable for being selectively and adjustably operated as a sidewise moving exercise.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Various kinds of typical stepping or walking or jogging or striding exercise apparatuses have been developed and provided for conducting or operating various exercises, and comprise a pair of foot pedals or foot supports movably disposed or attached or mounted or secured on a supporting base and capable of moving forwardly and rearwardly for simulating the stepping or walking or jogging or striding exercises.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,141 to Vittone, U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,985 to Miller, U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,177 to Lin, U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,806 to Chu, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,556,591 to Chuang et al. disclose several of the typical exercise apparatuses each comprising a pair of foot pedals or foot supports movably disposed or attached or mounted or secured on a supporting base for supporting the user thereon and for allowing the user to conduct or actuate or operate the typical exercise apparatuses to simulate the stepping or walking or jogging or striding exercises.

However, the foot pedals or foot supports may only be moved forwardly and rearwardly for simulating the stepping or walking or jogging or striding exercises, but may not be adjusted and moved sidewise selectively.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional exercise apparatuses.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an exercise apparatus including a structure adjustable for being selectively and adjustably operated as a stepping or walking or jogging or striding exercise and adjustable for being selectively and adjustably operated as a sidewise moving exercise.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided an exercise apparatus comprising a base including an upright support extended upwardly therefrom, and including a carrier disposed on the upright support, two brackets attached to the carrier and adjustable relative to carrier between a first and forwardly directed position and a second and sidewise directed position, and two foot supports pivotally attached to the brackets respectively for allowing the foot supports to be pivoted and swung relative to the brackets respectively, and the foot supports being allowed to be pivoted and swung forwardly and rearwardly relative to the brackets and the carrier when the brackets are attached to the carrier at the first and forwardly directed position, and the foot supports being allowed to be pivoted and swung sidewise relative to the brackets and the carrier when the brackets are attached to the carrier at the second and sidewise directed position.

The upright support includes a supporting arm extended therefrom for supporting the carrier. The carrier includes two anchor devices for engaging with the brackets respectively and for anchoring the brackets to the carrier either at the first and forwardly directed position or at the second and sidewise directed position.

The anchor devices each include two engaging notches formed therein and ninety (90) degrees apart from each other, and the brackets each include a spring-biased projection for selectively engaging with either of the engaging notches of the anchor devices and for anchoring and retaining the brackets to the carrier either at the first and forwardly directed position or at the second and sidewise directed position.

The brackets each include a stem extended therefrom for engaging with the anchor device, and the spring-biased projection is engaged in the stem. The carrier includes a knob engaged with the stem for securing the stem of the bracket to the anchor device and the carrier.

The foot supports each include a beam, foot pedal disposed on the beam, and a link coupled between the beam and the bracket. The foot supports each include a rod coupled between the beam and the upright support.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exercise apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the exercise apparatus;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the exercise apparatus, in which a portion of the exercise apparatus has been cut off for showing the inner structure of the exercise apparatus;

FIGS. 4, 5 are perspective views similar to FIG. 1, illustrating the operation of the exercise apparatus;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the exercise apparatus illustrating the adjusting operation of the exercise apparatus;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged partial perspective view similar to FIG. 3, in which a portion of the exercise apparatus has been cut off for showing the inner structure of the exercise apparatus and for illustrating the adjusting operation of the exercise apparatus; and

FIGS. 8, 9, 10 are perspective views similar to FIGS. 1 and 4-5, illustrating the operation of the exercise apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, an exercise apparatus in accordance with the present invention comprises a supporting base 10, and an upright support 11 extended upwardly from the supporting base 10, such as extended upwardly from the front portion 12 of the supporting base 10, the upright support 11 includes a supporting lever or arm 13 laterally extended from the upper portion thereof, such as extended rearwardly therefrom and parallel to the supporting base 10, and includes a lever or carrier 14 disposed or provided on the upright support 11, such as laterally and oppositely extended from the supporting arm 13 and perpendicular to the supporting arm 13. A handle 15 may further be provided and attached or mounted or secured to the supporting arm 13 for supporting the upper portion of the user.

An anchor device 20 is attached or mounted or secured to each of the two end portions 16 of the carrier 14, and includes a bore 21 formed therein, and includes a cylindrical shape or structure having one or more (such as two or two pairs of) engaging notches 22, 23 formed therein and ninety (90) degrees apart from each other. The anchor devices 20 are solidly and stably attached or mounted or secured to the carrier 14 with latches or fasteners (not shown), or with welding or soldering procedures. A bracket 30, such as a U-shaped bracket 30 includes a stem 31 extended therefrom and extended or engaged through the respective anchor device 20, and a knob 32 is attached or mounted or secured or engaged with the stem 31 for pivotally or rotatably anchoring or securing or retaining the stem 31 of the bracket 30 to the anchor devices 20 and the carrier 14 of the upright support 11.

The brackets 30 each may further include a latch or lock pin 33 extended from the stem 31 of the bracket 30 for engaging with the knob 32 and for solidly and stably anchoring or securing or retaining the knob 32 to the stem 31 of the bracket 30 and for allowing the stem 31 of the bracket 30 to be solidly and stably pivoted or rotated relative to the anchor device 20 and the carrier 14 of the upright support 11 with the knob 32. The brackets 30 each may further include a cavity 34 formed in the respective stem 31 for receiving or engaging with a spring-biased projection 35 which is partially extended out of the stem 31 for selectively engaging with either of the engaging notches 22, 23 of the anchor device 20 and for anchoring or securing or retaining the stem 31 of the bracket 30 to the anchor device 20 and the carrier 14 of the upright support 11 at different angular position.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6-7, the bracket 30 may be pivoted or rotated relative to the carrier 14 and/or the upright support 11 between a first or forwardly directed position (FIG. 3) and a second or sidewise directed position (FIG. 7). It is to be noted that the anchor device 20 may include only two engaging notches 22, 23 that are ninety (90) degrees apart from each other for selectively engaging with the spring-biased projection 35 of the bracket 30 and for selectively anchoring or securing or retaining the bracket 30 to the anchor device 20 and the carrier 14 either at the first position or at the second position that are ninety (90) degrees apart from each other.

Two foot supports 50 each include a beam 51 having a foot pedal 52 provided and disposed or attached or mounted or secured thereon for supporting the user thereon, a link 53 having a lower portion 54 pivotally or rotatably and adjustably attached or mounted or secured to the front portion 55 of each of the beams 51 with a bracket 58 and having an upper portion 56 pivotally or rotatably attached or mounted or secured to the respective bracket 30 with a pivot shaft or axle 57 for allowing the beam 51 and the link 53 to be pivoted or rotated or swung relative to the carrier 14 and the supporting base 10 (FIGS. 4-5 and 8-10).

In operation, as shown in FIGS. 4-5, when the bracket 30 is attached or mounted or secured to the anchor device 20 and the carrier 14 at the first or forwardly directed position (FIG. 3), the links 53 and the beams 51 and the foot pedals 52 may be pivoted or rotated or swung forwardly and rearwardly relative to the carrier 14 and the supporting base 10 for simulating the stepping or walking or jogging or striding exercises (FIGS. 4-5). As shown in FIGS. 6-7, the bracket 30 may be adjusted and attached or mounted or secured to the anchor device 20 and the carrier 14 at the second or sidewise directed position, at this moment, the links 53 and the beams 51 and the foot pedals 52 may be pivoted or rotated or swung sidewise relative to the carrier 14 and the supporting base 10 for simulating the splitting exercises (FIG. 8) or sidewise swinging exercises (FIGS. 9, 10).

It is to be noted that the links 53 and the beams 51 may be pivotally or rotatably and adjustably attached or mounted or secured together with the bracket 58 and latches or fasteners 59 for allowing the brackets 58 and the links 53 to be pivoted or rotated or adjusted relative to the beam 51. A rod 60 may further be provided and selectively attached or mounted or secured or coupled between the beam 51 and the supporting arm 13 or the upright support 11 for further solidly and stably attaching or mounting or securing or coupling the beam 51 of the foot support 50 to the supporting arm 13 or the upright support 11, the upper portion 61 of the rod 60 may be attached or mounted or secured to a barrel 62 which is pivotally or rotatably attached or mounted or secured to a pivot shaft 17 of the supporting arm 13 or of the upright support 11 or of the supporting base 10.

Accordingly, the exercise apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes a structure adjustable for being selectively and adjustably operated as a stepping or walking or jogging or striding exercise and adjustable for being selectively and adjustably operated as a sidewise moving exercise.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

I claim:
 1. An exercise apparatus comprising: a base including an upright support extended upwardly therefrom, and including a carrier disposed on said upright support, two brackets attached to said carrier and adjustable relative to carrier between a first and forwardly directed position and a second and sidewise directed position, and two foot supports pivotally attached to said brackets respectively for allowing said foot supports to be pivoted and swung relative to said brackets respectively, and said foot supports being allowed to be pivoted and swung forwardly and rearwardly relative to said brackets and said carrier when said brackets are attached to said carrier at said first and forwardly directed position, and said foot supports being allowed to be pivoted and swung sidewise relative to said brackets and said carrier when said brackets are attached to said carrier at said second and sidewise directed position.
 2. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said upright support includes a supporting arm extended therefrom for supporting said carrier.
 3. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said carrier includes two anchor devices for engaging with said brackets respectively and for anchoring said brackets to said carrier either at said first and forwardly directed position or at said second and sidewise directed position.
 4. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said anchor devices each include two engaging notches formed therein and ninety (90) degrees apart from each other, and said brackets each include a spring-biased projection for selectively engaging with either of said engaging notches of said anchor devices and for anchoring and retaining said brackets to said carrier either at said first and forwardly directed position or at said second and sidewise directed position.
 5. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said brackets each include a stem extended therefrom for engaging with said anchor device, and said spring-biased projection is engaged in said stem.
 6. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said carrier includes a knob engaged with said stem rotatably for securing said stem of said bracket to said anchor device and said carrier.
 7. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said foot supports each include a beam, a foot pedal disposed on said beam, and a link coupled between said beam and said bracket.
 8. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said foot supports each include a rod coupled between said beam and said upright support. 